30-Day Solo Travel in Europe | Day 17: Blue is the Warmest Colour - My Search for Yves Klein Blue

(Previous chapter of my journey: 30-Day Solo Travel in Europe | Day 16: Nice's Blue Coast and Chagall's Pink Palette)

On my second day in Nice, I had no particular agenda, so I slept in a little. I took my time getting ready and noticed another roommate—an Asian guy—slowly packing his bags. The silence in the room started to feel uncomfortable, so I broke it with a simple question: 'Checking out today?'

It turned out he was just switching rooms. He asked where I was from. 'Hong Kong,' I said. From his accent, I guessed he might be Japanese or Korean—and he was Korean. We chatted for a few minutes and ended up exchanging Instagrams. It’s funny how being far from home makes me feel more comfortable reaching out to strangers without overthinking it. Maybe it’s just the traveler vibe that makes opening up to others feel so much easier.

Later that morning, I strolled along the famous Nice beach. Following the signs, an easy fifteen-minute walk brought me up to Castle Hill. From the top, the endless Mediterranean stretched out below, and the rows of houses looked like colourful Lego bricks. This was the beauty of the South of France: not just the sunshine and beaches, but that soft sense of gentleness and openness.

The path was green and fragrant, the aged stone steps beneath my feet feeling like a walk back in time. The castle that once stood here is now just a few scattered ruins—a quiet testament to how time washes everything away. Standing there, I was struck by how small humans are in the universe. What will the world look like in a thousand years? In the end, it doesn’t really matter. We’ll be long gone as ash anyway.

On my way down, a light drizzle began. I ducked under a roof at the foot of the hill. I wandered into the Old Town (Vieux Nice) once the rain stopped. I loved the energy there, where narrow lanes were painted in bright, vivid colours, with lively chatter drifting from the market stalls. The whole old town felt alive with colourful vibrancy.

Being in the France, the perfume capital of the world, I’d booked an afternoon workshop at Molinard to mix my own signature scent. The instructor briefly explained the difference between top, middle, and base notes, then let us pick our favourites and blend them.

With limited time, the abundance of choice was overwhelming. I eventually picked two top notes, five middle notes, and five base notes. The instructor waved my selected scent strips in the air. ‘Do you like this?’ she asked. I felt it was too ‘green’ and grassy, and asked for something more floral and feminine. She suggested two floral notes and removed one particularly strong herbal essence. The new blend was perfect. With my choices and her expertise, she wrote down the precise formula. She reminded me that the perfume would need about ten days to settle, and the final scent would be subtly different from the one I smelled today.

Leaving with a bottle of perfume that was uniquely mine, I felt a quiet sense of accomplishment. My time in Nice was coming to a close, and I was ready for the next chapter: Italy!

Next, I headed to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Nice on Place Yves Klein. The street name gave a clue to the star collection of the museum: the iconic blue works of the French artist Yves Klein. The world-famous ‘International Klein Blue’ (IKB) was his creation. That intensely saturated ultramarine is potent and arresting, a colour that feels warm, rebellious, and visually overwhelming all at once. He famously patented this shade himself. Can you imagine that such warm shade of blue didn't exist before his invention?

(My Journey continues: 30-Day Solo Travel in Europe | Day 18: From Nice to Milan – A Journey Full of Twists)